Wrapped in a Boeing: Will Trump’s China Visit Include Another Aircraft Deal?
President Donald Trump’s upcoming state visit to Beijing comes amid a U.S.-Iran war that is tightening global energy supplies and heightening economic uncertainty. The 2017 $37 billion, 300‑plane Boeing deal secured during his last China trip has stalled due to sanctions, payment disputes, and shifting political dynamics. Industry analysts suggest the new trip could revive the aircraft contract by offering more flexible financing. The outcome may reshape the aerospace relationship between the United States and China.
Trump-Xi Summit Set to Weigh Iran Oil, Taiwan and US Exports
The Trump‑Xi summit will convene in Beijing on May 14‑15, tackling a packed agenda that includes Iranian oil sanctions, Chinese “teapot” refineries, Taiwan arms sales, and the release of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai. U.S. officials stress that while Iran‑related oil...
The Year’s Best Tech Trade Is Hiding in Plain Sight — and No, It’s Not the Nasdaq
South Korea’s KOSPI has surged 75% in U.S.‑dollar terms through early May, dwarfing the Nasdaq’s roughly 11% gain. The rally is driven by the country’s AI‑focused chipmakers, especially Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which dominate the high‑bandwidth memory market. A...
Trump, Xi Summit Set Despite China's Hesitance on Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump is moving forward with a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14‑15, even as Chinese officials express unease about the unresolved U.S.–Iran conflict. The meeting, already postponed once due to the war,...
India's 6.6% Growth "Very Good Record" Amid Global Turmoil: Amitabh Kant
India’s economy expanded 6.6% year‑on‑year, cementing its position as the world’s fastest‑growing large economy despite wars, broken supply chains and rising protectionism. Former NITI Aayog chief Amitabh Kant praised the pace as a “very good record” and linked it to structural...
Morningstar DBRS Confirms India at BBB, Stable Trend
Morningstar DBRS reaffirmed India’s long‑term sovereign rating at BBB with a stable outlook and its short‑term rating at R‑2 (high), also stable. The agency highlighted the country’s resilient macro fundamentals—$700 bn of foreign‑exchange reserves, 3.4% CPI, and a fiscal deficit narrowed...
West Africa: Nigeria's Mining Sector Attracted $2.6bn FDI in 30 Months - Shettima
Nigeria’s vice president Kashim Shettima announced that the mining sector has attracted roughly $2.6 billion in foreign direct investment over the past 30 months, a direct result of recent reforms. The Tinubu administration has de‑risked the industry and made local value‑addition a licensing...
Iran Reduces Oil Production by 400,000 Bpd, Further Cut Back Expected
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Iran has already cut oil output by about 400,000 barrels per day and may trim it further as domestic storage fills. A naval blockade has sharply reduced Iranian crude exports, leaving tankers stranded and...
Kalshi Traders See Odds Rising that a U.S.-Iran Nuclear Deal Will Be Reached by 2027
Prediction‑market platform Kalshi now prices a 58% probability that the United States and Iran will reach a nuclear agreement by 2027, with a 47% chance of a deal by September. The odds rose after an Axios report suggested the two...
U.S. Sanctions Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister Over Alleged Iranian Oil Scheme
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Iraq’s Deputy Oil Minister Ali Maarij Al‑Bahadly and several militia‑linked firms for allegedly channeling Iraqi crude into networks that blend it with Iranian oil. The move is part of the Trump...
High-Risk Business Environment
Ten weeks after the Middle East conflict erupted, global markets have felt heightened volatility, while a cascade of domestic political crises in Virginia—impeachment proceedings, power struggles with the Duterte faction, and the high‑profile arrest of influencer Franco Mabanta—has deepened uncertainty....
India-EU FTA Will Be a Win-Win for Both Sides, Looking Forward to Its Ratification: Airbus India MD
Airbus India MD Jurgen Westermeier hailed the pending India‑EU free trade agreement as a win‑win, urging swift ratification. The pact, announced in January 2024, links two of the world’s largest democracies and covers a combined $24 trillion market. Current bilateral trade...
CNBC: Markets Whirlpool Says Iran War Causing ‘Recession-Level Industry Decline’
Whirlpool told CNBC that the ongoing Iran‑Israel war is driving an industry‑wide decline comparable to a recession. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have spiked oil and freight costs, while uncertainty is dampening consumer demand for large appliances. The company...
How Pakistan Became the Primary Mediator Between the US and Iran
Pakistan has emerged as the primary mediator between the United States and Iran after President Trump paused a Hormuz operation at Pakistan’s request. Islamabad leverages decades‑long diplomatic channels with both Washington and Tehran, reinforced by recent successes such as a...
Cypher Capital: Iran War Has Shown that ‘Data Centres Are Geopolitical Assets’
Cypher Capital founder Bijan Alizadeh says the Iran‑Israel conflict has highlighted data centres as geopolitical assets, even as the broader narrative driving AI‑related infrastructure investment stays unchanged. He warns that the war could reshape short‑to‑medium‑term investment decisions, especially around site...
EU Envoy Seeks Investment Liberalisation Chapter in FTA with India, Early Investment Pact Conclusion
The European Union’s ambassador to India, Herve Delphin, urged the inclusion of an investment‑liberalisation chapter in the pending EU‑India free‑trade agreement and a swift conclusion of the parallel investment‑protection pact. The deal, covering two billion people and roughly a quarter of...
The Blind Spots of African Development Finance
Africa’s development‑finance ecosystem is expanding quickly, but its analytical capacity has not kept pace, creating blind spots around contingent liabilities, transactional risk assessments, and pricing benchmarks. The article argues that without integrated macro‑financial intelligence, new instruments risk being mis‑priced and...
Zimbabwe to Return Almost 70 European-Owned Farms
Zimbabwe’s agriculture minister announced the government will return 67 farms seized from European owners in Denmark, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. The farms were taken under Robert Mugabe’s land‑reform program, which devastated commercial agriculture and triggered a 2008 currency collapse....
Beijing Becomes the Chessboard as Iran Pre-Empts Trump-Xi Summit
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing two weeks before the scheduled Trump‑Xi summit, aiming to shape the diplomatic terrain ahead of the US‑China talks. Tehran warned that any US‑China agreement that sidelines Iranian interests—especially regarding Iranian oil flowing...
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Iran Moves to Expand Yuan-Based Trade with China
Iran is accelerating the use of China’s yuan to settle imports, following a recent diplomatic visit by its foreign minister. The yuan now accounts for over 7% of global trade and could climb to 15% by 2030, driven by Beijing’s...
India’s New Globalization Raj
India is rapidly shedding its historic economic seclusion in favor of an assertive global trade stance. Recent policy reforms—ranging from tariff reductions to streamlined foreign‑investment rules—have accelerated the country’s integration into worldwide supply chains. The shift is reflected in robust...
Citi Economist Urges CFA Franc Devaluation to Spur Growth in Central Africa
Citi’s chief Africa economist David Cowan recommends that the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) devalue its CFA franc, which is currently pegged to the euro, to stimulate growth and stem a slide in foreign reserves. He argues...
US Carmakers’ China Balance: Cooperate Abroad, Protect Turf at Home
Ford is weighing a partnership with China’s Geely to boost its European competitiveness while resisting any technology transfer that would allow Chinese automakers to enter the U.S. market. CEO Jim Farley emphasized the need for global IP sharing but framed...
India Represents One of Most Dynamic Opportunities in Global Commerce: Walmart CEO
Walmart CEO John Furner highlighted India as a fast‑growing source of global merchandise, noting the retailer has already sourced $40 billion of goods from the market. The company aims to reach $10 billion in annual Indian sourcing by 2027 while expanding its...
Debtor Countries Finally Have a Group of Their Own
On April 15, a coalition of developing nations launched the Borrowers’ Platform to coordinate debt‑management strategies and negotiate with international lenders. The initiative builds on the Sevilla Commitment, a framework adopted at the 2023 Fourth International Conference on Financing for...
ISI Launches Corporate Debt Platform Covering 2,100 Emerging Market Bond Issuers
International Securities Institute (ISI) unveiled a new corporate debt platform that aggregates information on roughly 2,100 emerging‑market bond issuers. The service delivers real‑time pricing, credit analytics, and historical issuance data in a single dashboard. ISI aims to streamline due‑diligence for...
China Vows Action After EU Cuts Funding for Green Projects Using Chinese Inverters
The European Commission announced a ban on EU funding for clean‑energy projects that use Chinese‑made solar inverters, citing security concerns. Beijing denounced the move as unfair, labeling China a "high‑risk" country without evidence, and warned of retaliatory measures. Chinese firms...
Hungary, EU Split over How Much of Its €10B Funding It Should Get
Hungary’s new prime minister, Péter Magyar, is negotiating the release of the €10.4 billion ($11.2 billion) post‑pandemic recovery fund that was frozen under Viktor Orbán. The European Commission wants Hungary to claim only the €6.5 billion ($7.0 billion) in non‑repayable grants, while Budapest pushes...
China, US Drive Global Debt to Record $353 Trillion as Iran War Adds Pressure: Report
Global debt surged to a record $353 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, up $4.4 trillion from the previous quarter, according to the Institute of International Finance. The increase was driven primarily by government borrowing in China and the United States,...
Chad P. Bown on What to Watch for at the Trump-Xi Summit
Chad P. Bown, senior research staff at the Peterson Institute, joined Fox’s LiveNOW to preview the upcoming Trump‑Xi summit. He highlighted that the meeting will intertwine economic issues with broader geopolitical power dynamics. Topics include the lingering U.S.–China trade dispute,...
Rwanda Seeks to Deepen Central Corridor Links Through SGR
Rwanda and Tanzania have signed an agreement to build a $2.5 billion standard‑gauge railway linking the port of Dar es Salaam to Kigali, with Rwanda seeking roughly $1.3 billion for its 150‑km stretch. The electrified line aims to cut transport costs, speed...
Thai Markets Weathering Middle East Turmoil
Moody’s upgraded its outlook on Thailand, placing the country with four other emerging markets that can weather global shocks. The rating highlights strong bank liquidity, robust international reserves and improved policy frameworks. Despite a ten‑week Middle East conflict, the Stock...
EU Agreement on US Trade Deal Within Reach, Says Top Lawmaker
European Parliament trade chief Bernd Lange says the EU‑U.S. trade agreement is likely to be sealed by the end of May, setting up a June plenary vote. The deal, signed in principle at President Donald Trump’s Scottish resort last July,...
The Myth of the Petrodollar
The piece debunks the popular “petrodollar” myth, arguing that the U.S. dollar’s global dominance rests on a broader financial architecture rather than solely on oil pricing. It traces the dollar’s hegemony to post‑World War II institutions like Bretton Woods and the...
Tata and JSW to Spend $1bn Building India’s Way Out of Chinese Battery Dependence
India’s EV sector, heavily reliant on Chinese battery cells, faces supply‑chain risk after Beijing tightened export controls on graphite, lithium‑processing equipment and cell‑making machinery. In response, Tata Group and JSW Group have pledged just under $1 billion to fund multi‑year R&D...
The AI Revolution Has a New Capital – and It’s Not in California
A wave of AI‑driven investment has turned Seoul’s Kospi into the world’s hottest market, with retail investors pouring roughly $19 billion into leveraged chip stocks. Record earnings at Samsung, TSMC and SK Hynix—whose combined AI‑related revenues surged nearly 50‑fold—have pushed Samsung past...
Designed to Hurt Asia, Trump’s Tariffs Did the Opposite
The Trump administration’s 2025‑2026 tariffs on Asian exporters were intended to shrink the U.S. trade deficit, but the 2025 data show record deficits with Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Legal setbacks forced a switch to Section 122 tariffs and a...
RBI Likely to Hold Rates in June Amid Two Conflicting Objectives, Says HSBC Chief India Economist
The Reserve Bank of India is expected to keep its repo rate unchanged at the June 2026 policy meeting, opting instead to maintain ample liquidity in the banking system. HSBC’s chief India economist warns that the central bank faces a...
How Indian Multinationals Are Succeeding in Emerging Markets without Major Foreign Investment
Indian multinationals are thriving in emerging markets using a “high involvement, low investment” model that relies on deep managerial engagement with local partners rather than equity ownership. A study of nine Indian firms across 62 markets shows this approach can...
AEF: Profit From The AI Spending Binge With This Emerging Market Fund
abrdn’s Emerging Markets ex‑China Fund (AEF) gives investors exposure to fast‑growing emerging markets outside China, concentrating on Taiwan, South Korea and India. The fund’s portfolio is heavily weighted toward semiconductor giants TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix, positioning it to benefit...
China’s Exporters Face Test as Yuan Hits 3-Year High Against US Dollar
The People’s Bank of China fixed the yuan’s midpoint at 6.8487 per U.S. dollar on Thursday, its strongest level since April 2023. Analysts expect the currency to continue appreciating, potentially reaching 6.65 per dollar by year‑end, which could strain China’s...
Hormuz Crisis Heats up Asia’s Arctic Scramble
The May 2024 Hormuz shutdown exposed Asia’s over‑reliance on a single oil chokepoint, prompting a rapid pivot toward Arctic routes. The arrival of a Russian‑crude tanker from Sakhalin highlighted a deliberate bypass of Hormuz, signaling that Asian capitals are already testing...
Crunch Time for Japan-Russia as Energy and Security Collide
Japan received a Sakhalin‑2 oil tanker at Taiyo Oil’s Imabari refinery, underscoring its push to diversify energy supplies beyond the Persian Gulf. At the same time, Terra Drone announced a strategic investment in Ukrainian drone maker WinnyLab, expanding Japan’s defence‑technology...
Philippines Urges ASEAN to Strengthen Crisis Coordination Amid Iran War
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro opened an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Cebu on May 7, urging the bloc to bolster crisis coordination as the Iran‑Israel war fuels a global energy crunch. She highlighted the outsized impact of soaring...
Bank of Thailand Revises Growth Forecast Upward
The Bank of Thailand lifted its 2026 GDP growth projection to 2.1%, up from 1.5%, after the cabinet approved a 400 billion‑baht (about $10.8 billion) emergency borrowing package. The additional funds will finance a consumption‑stimulus scheme and green‑energy projects, including the “Thai...
Hong Kong Explores Financial Cooperation With Uzbekistan During Tashkent Visit
Hong Kong’s financial services chief Christopher Hui met Uzbek officials in Tashkent to launch talks on gold‑trading links, capital‑market access and a possible double‑taxation treaty. Hong Kong is rolling out a central gold‑clearing system and expanding storage capacity to over...
Thailand Unilaterally Voids Maritime Boundary Agreement With Cambodia
Thailand’s cabinet formally voided the 2001 MoU 44 that set a joint framework for offshore oil and gas exploration with Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The 26,000‑square‑kilometre overlapping claims area is believed to contain significant hydrocarbon reserves, making the agreement...
War and Energy Shortages Boost China’s Influence in Asia
The war in Iran has disrupted oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Asian nations to turn to China for relief. Despite a ban on oil‑product exports, Beijing leveraged its massive crude reserves and decades of clean‑energy investment to...
Malaysian King’s Visit to Russia Expected to Smooth Path for Oil Deal
Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim arrived in Moscow for a state visit that doubles as a diplomatic push for energy cooperation. The trip coincides with Malaysia’s urgent search for alternative crude after Iran‑linked disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have tightened...
Tokyo Leads Asia Stock Surge on Mideast Peace Hopes
Asian equities surged on Thursday, led by Japan’s Nikkei jumping 5.7% to 62,916 as investors cheered President Donald Trump’s claim that a U.S.-Iran agreement was imminent. The optimism lifted oil prices, which had fallen about 10% over the prior two...